• Before I begin, I'd like to say that I realise how short the last chapter was. I tried to edit my last submission so I could add this to the end, thus saving myself another hundred gold and making that longer but this proved to be...more difficult than I'd hoped, let's say. This installment is much longer.


    Darcy was the only one in the warmth of Pixels’ internet café, a lone figure silent in the corner. Outside, raindrops pitter-pattered lightly on the window as she typed in her password and waited for the ancient machine to load.

    A message popped up on screen. Lukeeeboi – Man U 4ever!! says: Hi. U k? Luke.
    *Darcy* says: Yes, thank you. You?
    Lukeeeboi – Man U 4ever!! says: Yep fin ta. Still meetin me 2nit?
    *Darcy* says: Of course. Looking forward to it?
    Lukeeeboi – Man U 4ever!! says: Yep. Cant wat 2 c u agan. He really needs to learn how to spell, she thought. Or at least use apostrophes.
    *Darcy* says: Same here. See you then.
    Lukeeeboi – Man U 4ever!! says: Ok bibi den xx
    *Darcy* says: Goodbye.
    <Lukeeeboi – Man U 4ever!! may not reply because he or she appears to be offline>
    Darcy closed the messenger and shut down the computer. Eight o’clock. It was nearly seven now. She stood up briskly, moving towards the door. Her long black coat swung in the wind as she stepped out the door, breathing in the icy evening air.
    She caught the glances of an old couple, who looked at her distastefully. Let them think what they want, she thought. Admittedly she looked like a bit of a slut in a black skirt, red bustier and killer heels, but that was only her ‘work clothes’. Usually she dressed down. Ignoring the wolf whistles and catcalls of a group of teenagers in hoodies, she set off in the direction of Bell graveyard.

    Darcy saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye, but didn’t turn. He had come to meet her, not the other way round. Besides, she was pissed off at him for being late.
    “Darcy?” A teenagers’ voice, calling out nervously.
    “Only if that’s Luke.” she replied coolly. Yes, it was him.
    The fifteen year old boy sat down beside her. Was it just her, or was he shivering?
    “Why did we have to meet in the graveyard, Darce?” he asked, looking around worriedly. “There’s supposed to be vampires round here.”
    ‘Darce’ laughed. “Don’t be silly. Everyone knows that there’s no such thing as
    vampires.” she said scornfully. “Anyway, I’m sure a big, strong man like you could defend the both of us against a few measly vampires.”
    “Umm…yeah.” Luke looked away, trying to find another subject rather than discuss his manliness. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked, referring to her outfit. “I’m freezing.”
    What did he mean? It was a pretty warm night. Well, as warm as it could get in November. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m fine” she said.
    “You’re weird.” Luke said, not really thinking about the consequences this remark would cause.
    “You have no idea.” She moved closer. “Luke-”
    Her words were cut off as Luke pulled her closer and snogged her. It was a terrible kiss, and his chewing-gum breath made her feel sick. Nevertheless, Darcy managed to suppress how grossed out his tongue rootling around in her mouth made her feel, and pretended to enjoy it.
    I should be an actor, Darcy thought as she willed the torturous encounter to end.
    When finally the kiss was over, Luke leant back, fully pleased with himself. Darcy decided to finish what she was going to say before.
    “Luke…” she started.
    “What?” he asked, a little too quickly. Were all boys this eager to get into the opposite sexes’ knickers?
    “Can I give you...a little advice?” she asked seductively.
    “Err…sure.” He was obviously expecting her to ask if she could give him something else. Pervert.
    “Never,” she whispered in his ear. Luke shifted closer in anticipation. “Trust strangers.”
    “Huh?” he said, confused. That reaction didn’t last long, because Darcy opened her mouth, and sank her canine teeth deep into the boys’ neck.

    Luke screamed, but he was silenced mid-cry as his energy drained away. He slumped over onto Darcys’ lap, unconscious, as she carried on feeding. When she was full, she pulled out a tissue and dabbed at her lips, pushing the boys’ body onto the floor. The blood would be invisible against her crimson-painted lips, anyway. She froze, seeing a trio of figures on the far side of the graveyard, conversing together as they looked straight at her.
    “Crap!” she swore in an undertone, cursing herself for being so stupid as to not find a more secluded spot of the graveyard, as opposed to the centre. Now she wouldn’t be able to just sneak away like she usually did.
    “Help!” she called out, damsel in distress-style. “Quick! Someone call an ambulance!” The figures came closer.
    “I-I don’t know what happened,” she sobbed, feigning being deeply upset and pretending to wipe her eyes using the blood-soaked tissue.

    “Like hell you do, Darce.” A scornful voice. Darcy looked up to identify the speaker, and grinned when she recognized the face smirking at her. “Lisha?!” she said. “I haven’t seen you for ages! What are you doing here?”
    “I got hungry. I picked up a couple of new friends along the way, too.” she said carelessly, indicating the girl and boy a few paces behind. “Need any help?”
    “In a minute.” Darcy shrugged. “New friends?” she asked quizzically, raising her eyebrows at the pretty blonde girl.
    “Yup. Brother and sister. Met them last night. Seem okay.” She bent over, looking at the unconscious boy on the ground. “He’s cute,” she commented.
    “You can have him,” replied Darcy, looking down at him in disgust. “Total sleazeball. Can’t spell, either.”
    Lisha pulled him upwards. “So, where are you leaving him? Gates, as usual?” Darcy nodded. “Caretaker will have a nice surprise.”
    “Caretaker’s had a lot of nice surprises, the amount of people I’ve left here.” she retorted. “I’m surprised he hasn’t had a heart attack yet. The last one ran screaming from the graveyard. Literally.”
    Lisha snorted. “Humans have gotten even more scared lately.”
    “Hmm, I wonder why?” Darcy joked, laughing and showing her slightly longer and sharper than average teeth.
    “Shut up and help me lift him.” ordered Lisha.
    Darcy did as she was told, grabbing Luke’s limp legs. “Bloody hell!” she cursed, a pained expression on her face. “I never realised how heavy he was!”
    “Shut up and get lifting. That is, unless you’d rather just leave him here?”
    “I’m sorely tempted by that suggestion.” Darcy replied, half serious. “Can’t you get your new friends to lend a hand?”
    “Good idea!” Lisha gasped incredulously. “Amaris! Kai! Get your arses over here and help us!” she shouted, not realising that Darcy had been joking. Still, it was two extra pairs of hands.
    The pair came over. Twins, she realised - they had the same greyish-blue eyes, framed with long lashes and a light sprinkling of freckles across their faces, and their caramel hair was exactly the same hue. Odd-looking, but in no way unattractive - of course they couldn't be human. The girl seemed okay, and the boy – well, Darcy didn’t think she had ever seen someone so much like an easily excited puppy.
    Ignoring her companions for the moment, she concentrated on moving towards the gates of the graveyard, but this was interrupted by the puppy-boy trying to make conversation. He didn’t understand when to quit, and so kept on asking Darcy about herself. “Where do you come from?” “How long have you known Lisha?” “What do you do for fun?” were just some of the questions. At the start of the Spanish Inquisition, Darcy would reply with non-committal answers that were as short as possible, such as “England”, “A bit”, and, her personal favourite, “Stuff”, but still he kept on, not taking the hint. Eventually, at “Have you got a boyfriend?” Darcy exploded.
    “WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT UP AND STOP ASKING ME QUESTIONS?!” she roared at him.
    Kai was taken aback by this sudden biting-off-of-his-head, and obeyed. The group fell silent until they arrived at the tall, black gates. They put the body down and were just about to leave, when Darcy told the others to wait. She bent down, pursing her lips, and kissed Luke’s cold cheek, leaving a red lipstick mark. “Sealed with a kiss.” she explained to the confused-looking Amaris and Kai. “My trademark, if you will.”
    “Six years and you haven’t changed a bit.” said Lisha admiringly. “Anyways, since we’ve gotten the matter of moving the unconscious brat out of the way, why don’t we go somewhere with a bit more life?”
    “Such as?” asked Darcy, ears pricking up. “Might I suggest a little club Lisha and I used to haunt?”
    “You read my mind.” Lisha smirked.
    “Wait.” Amaris spoke for the first time. She had an upper-class voice that could almost be called snobbish. “In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t look old enough. I doubt we'll be able to buy any alcohol.”
    “Lisha, you haven’t told her anything, have you?” Darcy sighed and then hurried to explain. “It’s easy, there’s a back entrance. We'll steal some from there, put in your bag, then go round the front and sit away from everyone else. It would be easier if we had some more cash, though; it’s a fact that the bartenders accept bribes. Lisha found that out for us a couple of years ago, didn’t you, Lish?”
    Lisha laughed. “The power of money always works. Obviously not as effectively as the power of seduction, flirting and general tartiness, but it still gives pretty good results.”
    Darcy nodded. “True. Slight problem though. I don't quite remember where it is..."